Bottle packaging waste could be reduced

AirPack Systems, the European distributor of inflatable bottle packaging products took this photograph (below) during this year’s London International Wine Fair at Excel, where they were an exhibitor.

The photograph shows one of the many piles of bottle packaging rubbish that littered Excel’s aisles the night before the show opened. As can be seen, the majority of the rubbish was due to Polystyrene blocks - yet surprisingly it is estimated that the packaging in this pile would have only been sufficient to pack fewer than 500 bottles.

AirPack’s MD Rob Bishop says: “whilst polystyrene blocks like this provide reasonable levels of protection during transit, they can be costly and are very bulky. However the main problem with polystyrene is that it is environmentally very unfriendly and incredibly hard to dispose of.”

In contrast, inflatable bottle packs can be reused many times or simply deflated after use and placed into a recycling bin.

He adds: “The show was a great success for us, but we were incredibly busy on the last day when we supplied hundreds of our AirPacks to many of our fellow exhibitors to transport their bottles home safely.”

AirPack supply packaging for 1,2,3,6 and 12 bottle shipments and will shortly be releasing a carry pack for retail and duty free sales. Full details and videos are available at www.airpacksystems.com.

July 2010

Rubbish at LIWF